Making the right kind of impact
How we are helping Beer & Cider brewers meet the challenges of a changing world
The North American market – one of the largest in the world, has seen dynamic shifts in consumer behavior over recent years. These shifts include a thirst for craft beers, a taste for low and zero alcohol variants, the premiumization of alcohol and the steady growth of online sales.
Recent world events and evolving shopping habits have accelerated change and potentially shifted the way we buy Beer & Cider forever.
From our supermarkets to our corner stores, we want to find our favorite drinks quickly and easily, in one place, so we don’t have to shop around. We’re looking for greater value and convenience, as we switch from smaller shopping trips, back to making fewer, bigger trips. We expect to make more purchases online, delivered quickly and securely to our homes to suit our lifestyle.
And of course, we want all of this from brands that we trust to take better care of our planet.
There’s never been a more important time to think innovatively about your packaging.
The world is changing faster than ever. Meet a packaging partner that will help you keep up
Recent world events and evolving shopping habits have accelerated change and potentially shifted the way we buy Beer & Cider forever.
What’s happening in the North American Beer & Cider market?
The brewing industry is experiencing a packaging revolution, with innovations and trends influenced by the rise of craft beer, changing drinking habits, and concerns for the environment. The global pandemic accelerated some of these trends.
Brewers are facing new challenges
Increase in competition
Breweries across the U.S. have seen an increase in competition over the last 5 years. Making an impact on-shelf is now more important than ever.
Changing shopping habits
Industry insiders suggest Covid-19 may have accelerated the growth of online alcohol sales by up to 3 years - in just 3 months. You cannot afford to ignore new, emerging ecommerce channels.
Problem pollution & plastic
Consumers are calling for sustainability to be built into every facet of your operations, or you face falling sales and de-listing. It has become critical to remove plastics from your supply chain, reduce CO2 and become more environmentally friendly.
At DS Smith’s PackRight Centers our strategists and designers are hard at work creating customized, sustainable packaging solutions to meet the challenges facing brewers today.
Making the right kind of impact on-shelf
major challenges facing Beer & Cider brands in-store
Impact on-shelf has always played a major role in driving sales. Over 70% of purchase decisions are made after your customers enter the store.1 Yet despite this, shoppers only look at a fraction of the products on display.
Attention spans are short – on average less than two seconds – and over a third of customers will buy an alternative brand if they can’t easily see the beer or cider they’re looking for on the shelf.
Our latest consumer insight also shows a ‘new normal’ has arrived, where big shopping trips are replacing more frequent, smaller shopping trips. Over half of U.S. shoppers say that they are visiting supermarkets less – a habit that 1 in 4 shoppers say they expect to continue long-term.
So now, at a time when it’s even more crucial for your product to stand out, there are fewer opportunities to achieve it.
Our customized solutions include:
• Consumer packs that support the look and feel of your brand
• Print quality that matches your production price point & positioning
• Shelf-ready packaging designed with ease of implementation in-store
• Pack designs with great surface areas for high quality print –even on small quantities
• Differentiation in-store, making navigation easier
• Innovative POS
It’s vital you are visible
How our packaging solutions can help you stand out on-shelf
Over 70% of purchase decisions are made after your customers enter the store.
2 challenges. 2 ways we help
Differentiate with ‘fridge-friendly‘ can packs
With more of us enjoying our favorite Beer and Cider at home, we’re looking to replicate the experience of drinking in pubs and bars as closely as possible, including chilling our beers and ciders to just the right temperature.
We are currently designing innovative fridge packs that fit neatly on the shelf. These packs automatically present the next can every time one is removed, without having to tear open packaging or remove it from the fridge. We are also using our experience in how packaging behaves in cool climates to maintain the appearance and integrity of your packaging, even when chilled.
To help smaller brewers, we can even bundle the print runs of more than one brewery on a single machine.
71% of craft beer drinkers try brands with bold and interesting packaging.2
Shout louder with better display areas
Shopping missions are returning to fewer, bigger shopping trips. Therefore planning ahead and stocking up will take priority over meals and drinks ‘for tonight’.
Available in every shape and size, our point-of-sale displays put our customers’ products center stage and we can supply customized and unusual shapes. For our client AB InBev, we designed castlethemed POS to support a Bud Light promotion in wholesalers that resulted in an 86% uplift in sales. The distinctive displays also drove interaction with store colleagues, with some dressing up in medieval costumes and uploading photos to social media – spreading the promotion far beyond the store.
Did you know...
Research by Nielsen shows that almost half (47%) of millennials do their shopping around the perimeter of the store. So packaging in the Beer & Cider aisle needs to work harder to be noticed.
You’re invited to be inspired
For more ways to make your packaging stand out on-shelf, contact us for a consultation. Our PackRight Center teams can explain how our solutions can give you a competitive advantage and help you succeed in a changing world.
Beer drinkers are 12.5% more likely to buy a product because it was on a display near the store entrance.
Challenge: Changing shopping habits
Making the right kind of impact in ecommerce
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How our packaging solutions can help you stand out online
major challenges facing Beer & Cider brands online Protecting products in transit (from damage, tampering and theft) 01 Addressing concerns over excess packaging 02 03
Recent world events have dictated that staying home is the new going out. Even as bars and restaurants slowly re-open, all the indicators are that it will be some time before foot traffic and sales return to pre-Covid-19 levels.
This presents serious problems. In order to survive, beer brands must move quickly and begin selling online. They should take advantage of the significant opportunities that exist, from sales to sampling, personalization and subscription models.
Many industry insiders believe Covid-19 has fast-forwarded the impact of ecommerce on sales by three years, in just three months.
We can help brewers get online with our innovations in ecommerce packaging design, robust testing methods and our unrivalled insight into the complexities of supply chains across North America.
• Packaging that survives the rigors of complex commerce supply chains
• Securing products against tampering and theft
• Delighting customers with personalization, limited editions, collectibles and high print quality
• Solutions for mixed cases
• Providing a convenient system for returns
• Direct to Consumer engagement e.g. , QR codes and imbedded LinkReader technology
• Traceability and tracking your products in the delivery network.
Our custom solutions include:
3 challenges. 3 ways we can help
Arrive intact without damage
Our research suggests more than a quarter of shoppers wouldn’t order again from a retailer who sent them a poorly packaged product. 75%3 of those who received a damaged product returned it and requested an exchange. Before working with us, one of our clients operating in the beverage industry found that 1.8 per thousand of their damaged primary packaging was returned without even being opened, regardless of the condition of the product inside.
The ecommerce supply chain is up to 10x more complex than a traditional supply chain. Your beer package can go through as many as 50 different touch points and can incur damage at any point. We can scientifically assess your brewery’s requirements, review the risks your products face in transit and tailor a solution to match. Our methodology is proven to cut your returns by over two thirds.
Safety or Sustainability?
39% of all shoppers who have bought online are concerned by excess packaging.4 So while your customers don’t want to receive broken bottles or crushed cans, they’ve made it equally clear they don’t want wasteful packaging either.
Striking the right balance between protecting your goods and limiting the amount of materials used is a major consideration for anyone selling online. On average in ecommerce, 55% of each box is empty or filled with unnecessary packaging.5 Our customized, sustainable solutions eliminate void fill, improve operational efficiency & lower transportation costs. And applying our revolutionary PACE program standards ensures no more packaging is used than absolutely necessary.
What is PACE ?
Our significant investment in packaging technology, from paper fiber to pack design and manufacture, has enabled us to develop a revolutionary breakthrough that will deliver exceptional, consistent packaging performance, time after time. This innovation, based on rigorous technological advancement and testing, is known as the PACE program.
PACE stands for: Performance, Assurance, Consistency, and Environment promises:
• Clear performance specifications
• Clear conformance criteria
• Reliable consistent packaging
• No unnecessary cost or risk
• No more material than absolutely necessary.
You’re invited to be reassured
Much more than beer in a box
Don’t make the mistake of believing the taste of your brew is all your customers are seeking. To reach the new generation of consumers, the way your Beer & Cider arrives packaged needs to stand-out. 58% of online shoppers now buy a product after looking up images and unboxing videos on social media.6 85% of millennials are more likely to make an online purchase if it’s personalized.7 Moreover, if your packaging is Instagrammable, your brand profile will be given an extra boost.
Our 100% customized, sustainable packaging solutions are designed to stand out, protect your product and work seamlessly with your production lines. To add to the experience, we can design a total packaging experience, including innovative LinkReader technology, that your customers will be excited to share.
Although we also offer off-the-shelf packaging solutions, our designers can create 100% sustainable, customized solutions in as little as 2 weeks, to really help your Beer or Cider make an impact when it’s delivered.
Talk to us
Did you know...
55% of online customers said they would purchase Beer & Cider online again if the products came in customized packaging.8
For more ways we can get you online quickly and safely, talk to one of our PackRight Center strategists. They’ll explain how our ecommerce packaging solutions can give you a competitive advantage and help you succeed in a changing world.
58% of online shoppers now buy a product after looking up images and unboxing videos on social media.
